ldesfor1@ithaca

Cat 3 race. 1 km loop with 4 corners and one slightly uphill bit.

basically I decided to race with no aims at a sprint finish. I was in "breakaway or die" mode as I wanted to put the hurt on myself and not sit in for 50 laps waiting for a pack sprint.
So I covered most attacks, looking to consolidate a break from the gun.

10 laps in I was sitting 3rd wheel in one of many failed breakaways and I was taking a righthander at 30mph. I picked a less than optimal line, i hit a divot in the road, my rear wheel lost contact with the pavement, jumped and skidded too the left. I held the skid for a few miliseconds, then the tubular tire rolled off the rim and I went down fast and hard on my right side.
I stood up, turned sideways as the peloton cruised around me and i then ran to the pit.
I stole the only 9 speed rear wheel and after getting 2 free laps and with bloody hip, elbow and calf, I got pushed back into the mix with 35 laps to go. Thanks Merlin and SRAM!

I continued to race with abandon chasing every attack. With 25 or 30 to go, I bridged up to a solo attack and me and Michael Norton assembled and opened up a 25 second gap which took the peloton about 10-12 laps to close down, and boy was it fun!!

Back in the mix, I took a few laps to recover, and proceeded to try and consolidate another break, knowing it was too late to make it work. I was having fun!

So I had little left in the tank and finished in the back of the pack as the sprint finish ensued.

Fun race and really rewarding even though i finished 28?th.

-L

...road rash aint cool for the first week.

ldesfor1@ithaca

oh yah, my gloves are getting a present. I tore through the palm on one of them, but my hand was fine.

All praise gloves!!!

Marinellio

Hey leo, was this the turn after the downhill?

ldesfor1@ithaca

nope, the last turn before the start/finish line. On the inside there was a nice divot where some road work had been done... looks like a patch job of a past pothole.


-Leo

waterrockets 

Sounds like a great race other than rolling the tire. Must have been great fun being off the front all that time. I aspire to be one of "those" guys one day.

kudude

+1 million

pinky

(Merlin is the man)

Marinellio

Ah that patch was weak, the bump entering the road just after that kind of stunk too... The corner before that had a little chunk of road missing maybe the size of a fist that someone hit and hopped their tire during the Cat5 race, but fortunately didn't wipe everyone out. Have good healing!

Matt

ldesfor1@ithaca

some good photos of the event here:

https://www.millersevents.com/Event/V...yQB5Axpqj1A%3d


https://www.millersevents.com/Event/V...3xfk;plus;4%3d

enjoy!